Éva Tamássy

Éva Tamássy
Born	(1936-07-30)July 30, 1936 Budapest, Hungary
Died	November 30, 2018(2018-11-30) (aged 82) Stellenbosch, South Africa
Occupation(s)	Flautist, educator
Spouse	Johannes Cronjé
Children	Tom Cronjé, François Cronjé

Éva Tamássy (30 July 1936 – 30 November 2018) was a Hungarian-born flutist and influential music educator. She is particularly remembered for her contributions to classical music in South Africa, where she became a prominent figure after emigrating from Hungary in the late 1950s.

Early Life and Education

Tamássy was born in Budapest in 1936. She pursued her musical education at the Ferenc Erkel Conservatorium (1950–1953) and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest (until 1956). Following her studies in Hungary, she further honed her skills under the tutelage of renowned French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, taking classes with him on his concert tours to South Africa.

Career in South Africa

In 1956, Tamássy fled Hungary with her family in the wake of the Hungarian Revolution, settling in Johannesburg, South Africa a few months later. She quickly established herself as a leading figure in the South African classical music scene, performing as a soloist and chamber musician. Her performances with various ensembles, including Musica Antiqua, the Pro Arte Wind Ensemble, the Tamássy Flute Quartet, Concerts 4x2 and the Tamássy-Fortescue Duo, were widely acclaimed.

In 1965, she obtained the Unisa Performers' Licentiate in Music (UPLM) with distinction, further cementing her reputation as a virtuoso flutist. Her career also included regular touring collaborations with national performing bodies such as the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB), Natal Performing Arts Council (NAPAC), and South West Africa Performing Arts Council (SWAPAC). She performed concertos with South African orchestras and made significant contributions to radio transcription recitals for the South African Broadcasting Company (SABC). Numerous reviews in public media, as well as the inclusion of her name in the South African Music Encyclopedia, portray the extent to which she was widely known in South Africa.

Teaching and Mentorship

Tamássy held a teaching position at the University of Stellenbosch from 1960, where she trained and mentored several generations of flutists. Many of her students went on to have successful careers in music, both in South Africa and internationally. She frequently travelled to Europe to stay abreast of the latest developments in flute pedagogy and facilitated opportunities for her students to study at prestigious institutions abroad.

In addition to her teaching, Tamássy presented masterclasses in Stellenbosch, Cape Town, and Pécs and designed several radio programmes, including a 13-part series titled From Shepherd to Symphony for the South African Broadcasting Company (SABC). She also arranged Hungarian folk songs and other works for flute and piano (such as Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata), contributing significantly to the repertoire. One of her notable arrangements was the adaptation of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations for harpsichord, which received critical acclaim for its intricate handling of the original work's complexities and its suitability for a chamber music setting.

Additionally, several South African composers dedicated compositions for flute to her. Roelof Temmingh wrote Last Pieces no. 2 (Nostalgia) for solo flute, Flute Concerto, Sonata for flute and guitar, Flute Quartet, and other works for her and her students, including the often-played Moedverloor op A mol for twelve flutes. Paul Loeb van Zuilenburg (sr.) wrote Ballet for flute and guitar and Scala for solo flute for her, while Hubert du Plessis composed Vier Antieke Dansstukke, op. 35 for her. In 1981, she gave the first performance of Arnold van Wyk's Poerpasledam for flute and piano alongside the composer.

Later Life and Legacy

Concert tours with pianist Virginia Fortesque during the years 1990 to 1996 resulted in duo concerts in Austria, Hungary, Scotland, and France, including a recital broadcast on Radio Budapest. After her retirement in 1998, Tamássy continued to teach and perform, maintaining a flute teaching studio in Stellenbosch until shortly before her death in 2018. She self-published three CD recordings of herself playing a collection of light classical flute and piano pieces (with Elna van der Merwe on piano), of flute and harp pieces (with Kobie du Plessis on harp), and of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach (with Mario Nell on organ and harpsichord).

Her extensive collection of flute scores is housed at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, located at Pieter Okkers House, 7 Joubert Street, Stellenbosch.

Sources

• Malan, JP, 1986, South African Music Encyclopedia, Volume 4, Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
• "Tribute to flautist Éva Tamássy". 22 January 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
• "Tribute to a flautist extraordinaire". 12 December 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
• "Éva Tamássy". Retrieved 15 September 2024.
• "Roelof Temmingh". Afrikaans Wikipedia.
• "Reverberations of Poerpasledam for flute and piano by Arnold van Wyk". Retrieved 15 September 2024.
• "Naklanke van Arnold van Wyk se Poerpasledam vir fluit en klavier". Retrieved 15 September 2024.